Suzuki and Hayashi slide down the sand dune and run to the camp.
flutter-
The tent, engulfed in flames, emitted black smoke.
The fire broke out in a tent used as a kitchen.
The cooking area was far from other barracks, so there was no chance of the fire spreading to other places.
It was clear that the 50kg LPG gas cylinder used to cook food had exploded, judging from the tremendous explosion a moment ago.
“The gas valve was definitely closed… but I don’t know why it started on fire.”
Kaneda, who was in charge of managing the kitchen, said to Suzuki with a puzzled expression.
There was no separate chef at the camp.
It was not possible to hire ordinary cooks in the face of secret military training in the border area between Russia and Mongolia.
So Kaneda, a yakuza executive, was serving as the chef.
The reason he was here was to report the progress to the boss.
So there was nothing to do but call Kobe every other day.
Moths were sore, but I hated going through basic military training with the pitch-black yakuza juniors.
In the end, Kaneda said he would take charge of the kitchen.
He said he had a career working in the kitchen of a ramen restaurant when he was young.
That’s how Kaneda served as the chef, and the troops took turns assisting him.
Suzuki said, placing a hand on Kaneda’s shoulder.
“It’s fine if no one is hurt.”
Fortunately, there was no one in the kitchen because it was time to take a break after cleaning up after dinner.
“Should I put out the fire?”
When asked by Hayashi if he would work to extinguish the fire, Suzuki shook his head.
“Just let it go off on its own.”
This was a dry desert.
Precious water could not be used to extinguish the fire.
The fire extinguisher I had brought for emergencies also had to be saved in case there was a fire in the barracks.
We couldn’t waste precious resources trying to salvage kitchen utensils that would have already been burnt and ruined.
“Try to figure out the number of people.”
According to Kaneda, there was no one in the kitchen, but it was necessary to check the number of people to see if anyone had died in the flames.
While Hayashi checked the number of people, Suzuki silently looked at the burning tent.
.
.
.
After a while the flames were completely extinguished.
After completing the staffing check, Hayashi returned.
“Nothing wrong.”
“I’m glad.”
Hayashi opened his mouth as he looked at the kitchen, which was completely burnt and left only ashes.
“Damn it, I guess I’ll just have to eat combat rations tomorrow.”
“Small accidents are happening one after another.”
Suzuki had a serious expression on her face.
Two days ago, a helicopter mechanic was accidentally injured while working.
“An accident like this can happen anytime. didn’t i tell you? An LPG car exploded in the underground parking lot of the apartment where I live, and all the cars parked on the same floor were burned.”
Hayashi was right.
Accidents involving injuries or exploding LPG cylinders could happen anytime, anywhere.
But Suzuki couldn’t take any type of accident that occurred at this camp lightly.
When something bad happens, ‘The Curse of Genghis Khan’ flashed through my mind.
Then, what came to mind automatically followed was ‘Kesikten’.
Of course, the fire earlier could not have been the work of Keshikten.
This place is hundreds of kilometers away from their stronghold.
Even if they noticed suspicious movements in the desert here, they couldn’t break through the strict security and approach the camp.
These days, there are no people on guard, but robots.
Hayashi has installed dozens of unmanned turrets around the camp.
The turrets, which cost millions of dollars per unit, are equipped with state-of-the-art identification devices that immediately aim and fire at all moving objects that are not friendly forces.
So it was impossible for someone from outside to break into the camp.
Also, there was no way there was an enemy inside the camp.
The people stationed here were 100% Japanese.
Fearing that Kesikten’s knapsack might sneak in, when selecting people, it was the origin and history that mattered more than skill.
Those with a history of visiting Mongolia at least once were not selected.
hmm-
Even so, Suzuki’s heart was uneasy.
I kept getting a bad feeling that a bigger accident was about to happen.
What if the place where the fire broke out today was not a kitchen, but a fuel oil storage used for helicopters and armored vehicles?
If a large amount of oil catches fire, the camp’s personnel and equipment alone will never be able to extinguish the fire.
There would be flames and smoke for days and days.
Of course, there is no choice but to be noticed by the Mongolian or Russian border post guards.
In that case, the exploration could not even start, and all the members of the expedition and the troops had to withdraw to Japan.
‘That should never happen.’
Suzuki looked at Hayashi with a serious expression.
Then Hayashi asked him.
“why? What do you have to say?”
“I’m going to have to move up the departure schedule a bit…”
“How much are you going to pull?”
“The sooner the better.”
Originally, it was planned to do military training here for one more week and then move to the exploration area.
The exploration area was a desert near Choibal Mountain (Чойбалсан), a city 200 km southeast of here.
Hayashi replied with an expression that showed no problem at all.
“okay! I’ll make arrangements for departure in two days.”
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry! Giving the kids a few days less training doesn’t mean their strength is weakened. I’m already ready to chew on the Keshikten.”
“Then it’s safe.”
Hayashi muttered as he turned his head and looked into the distance.
“It is not the lions led by a single deer that scares the enemy, but the deer led by a single lion.”
These were the words of King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great.
Suzuki smiled and asked Hayashi.
“Are you saying you’re a lion?”
“Since I was in middle school, my nickname has been lion. I do not remember?”
“That was because you didn’t wash well and went around with messy hair like a lion’s mane.”
“Is it? ha ha ha!”
The two laughed pleasantly for a moment, recalling their school days.
Then Hayashi asked Suzuki again with a serious expression.
“I’ll be leaving for Choibalsan soon, so can I tell you now?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you go directly to Lake Baikal, where the tomb is located, and go first to Choibal Mountain?”
For over 20 years, Suzuki has investigated the fleet sunk in the Anyongbok Dissolution.
And then I learned a few things.
First of all, the place where the gold carried on the ship was found was near Lake Baikal (Байгал нуур).
From noble mtl dot com
Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 1,600m and is famous as a place where Genghis Khan enjoyed hunting during his lifetime.
So, it was one of the candidates that explorers do not fall out of when discussing Genghis Khan’s tomb.
Since gold was found there, it is likely that Genghis Khan’s tomb was also there.
However, Suzuki set the first exploration area not to Lake Baikal, but to the desert of Mt. Choibal, hundreds of kilometers away from there.
“There are things I must go there first and get my hands on. Without it, we will never set foot in Khan’s tomb. They know that well, so they are guarding it.”
Choibal Mountain was the place where Suzuki’s ear was cut off by someone claiming to be a member of Keshikten 30 years ago.
The fact that the watchman is in Choibal Mountain means that there is something important to protect there.
Hayashi asked Suzuki with an interesting expression.
“What is that item that you must get your hands on?”
Suzuki opened the crossbody bag.
It was the bag he wore when he slept.
He took out a stone box from it.
“Only this stone box can contain it.”
“You mean we have to put something in Choibal Mountain in it and take it to Lake Baikal? What the hell is that?”
Suzuki opened her mouth.
“A golden liquid.”
***
‘It was real!’
It was clear that the golden liquid that came out of Suzuki’s mouth was an elixir.
When I heard from the manager that Seokham could contain the elixir, I couldn’t believe it.
In fact, there were other elixirs on Earth other than the elixir I had.
Even Suzuki did not know why the elixir existed in Choibalsan and what its purpose was.
All he knew was that he needed an elixir to step into Genghis Khan’s tomb.
‘I have to start there right away.’
The Suzuki guys will soon move to Mt. Choibal to get the Elixir.
So I’ll start there too.
My goal is to be the last to steal the gold once they find Genghis Khan’s tomb, but I couldn’t wait and see.
In the worst case, if Suzuki is killed by Keshikten, then I will have to go through the trouble of finding the grave myself.
So I will stay close to the Suzuki guys and help them when needed.
‘What should I ride?’
Choibalsan is in Mongolia and Lake Baikal is in Russia.
We will not enter the two countries according to the iron rule of never leaving any traces of entry and exit at the destination.
After that, I had to enter China, but I had to get a visa.
So, this trip will start with smuggling from the beginning.
The nearest Chinese city to Korea was Weihai, 300 km away from Incheon.
So, I will go there by jet ski and go to Mongolia by land.
It had to travel approximately 2,000 km by sea and land.
At that distance, a day would be enough if you move without resting.
‘Let’s leave tomorrow evening.’
Since we will be staying in the desert for a while, there are many things to prepare.
I will finish preparing during the day tomorrow and go out to sea at night.
I went up to the second floor.
Golems were gathered on the terrace.
The manager shouted at me.
“president! Have some tea!”
When I sat down at the table, the manager poured round tea.
slurp-
I took a sip of tea and asked the manager.
“If it was really an alchemist who made that stone box, then there’s a high probability that he also made an elixir, right?”
She nodded.
“Yes, it is! Even if he didn’t create an elixir, it’s certain that an elixir exists or did exist somewhere on Earth. Otherwise, the existence of the stone box cannot be explained.”
It was natural.
Just as there is tea, there is a teacup, so there is a stone box to contain the elixir.
Kim Seo-yeon, who was listening to the conversation between me and the manager, opened her mouth.
“I collected and analyzed data about alchemy floating around the Internet, but most of them were unreliable and unscientific.”
Alchemy was obviously the most advanced discipline in ancient times and had a great influence on the foundation of modern chemistry.
However, to modern people, alchemy was just a ‘superstition’.
And it was being packaged more bizarrely by people who were obsessed with the occult.
Lee Seo-yoon opened her mouth at Kim Seo-yeon’s words.
“But that means that real alchemists, not fakes, existed on Earth! Maybe even now!”
Hororok-
The manager took a sip of tea and said.
“There is something I don’t understand. Alchemy has advanced enough to extract the elixir, so why does the Earth look like this now?”
It was asking why humans on modern Earth are using science instead of magic.
slurp-
I took a sip of the tea and answered the manager’s question.
“You will know when you go to Mongolia.”